Tramonti, the Mountain Paradise above the Amalfi Coast
Set high in the peaks of the Italian Monti Lattari, this town contributed to making mozzarella and pizza famous throughout the world. There are thirteen districts nestled in a green valley in the Monti Lattari. Tramonti, as its name indicates, is situated amidst the mountains.
A charming town, surrounded by streams, olive trees, vineyards and terraced vegetable patches, or "gardens" as they are fondly called by those that tend them, Tramonti is said to have been founded by the Picentini after they were forced inland by the Ancient Romans.
August festivals between Furore and Tramonti
Sagra dei totani e patate (Furore)
Festival della Pizza (Tramonti)
Sagra del fior di latte (Agerola)
How to Get to Tramonti
Tramonti is located 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from Highway A3 Napoli-Salerno, Angri or Nocera Inferiore exits. You can also reach the town by taking Highway SS 163 Amalfitana or the Pagani or Sarno exits from Highway A30. The town is about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Naples and the nearest train station is in Nocera Inferiore (along the Salerno-Napoli line). Tramonti can be reached via the Sita bus, along the Salerno, Naples, Pagani route.
Things to See in Tramonti
Where the A-list towns of the UNESCO-listed Amalfi Coast like Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello—plus hamlets like Minori and Maiori and the nearby destinations of Sorrento and Capri—are usually quite crowded and sightseeing can be a chore, here in Tramonti you may be the only tourists around.
One of the most interesting places to visit in the town, the Castle of Santa Maria La Nova once had seven bastions and ten towers. Also worthy of mention is the Chapel of San Michele Arcangelo, in the district of Gete, which dates back to the period between the 8th and 12th centuries and is surrounded by tombs of the hermit monks who once resided here. In the district of Pucara, the Church of Sant'Erasmo conserves works by Luca Giordano whilst, in the district of Figline, the Church of San Pietro Apostolo features an exquisite majolica floor.
There are a clutch of other hamlets nearby, including Campinola, Capitignano, Chiunzi, Conca, Novella, Pietre, Polvica, and Paterno Sant'Elia, these are not much more than a grouping of houses with perhaps a local bar or chapel.
Where to Eat in Tramonti
No matter how high the temperature rises on the sun-baked beaches of the Amalfi Coast below, in Tramonti the air is always refreshingly cool, making it the ideal place for cheese making. The town's mozzarella fiordilatte is one of Italy's specialties and one of the principal ingredients in a gastronomic delicacy which has made Tramonti famous throughout the world: pizza. It is said that the pizza of Tramonti was invented as a way of using up the dough leftover from bread-making. To this simple base, tomato and a sprinkling of cheese were added. The resulting "pizza", was cooked in a wood-burning oven, and then shared amongst friends.
Immediately after the Second World War, a number of young men from this town in the region of Campania emigrated to regions in northern Italy. Here they opened a series of pizzerias. Today there are almost 3,000 pizzerias making the Pizza of Tramonti, the recipe of which was certified in 1991 during the very first Tramonti Pizza Festival.
If you're not up for pizza, book a table at the Da Regina farm restaurant, set in a quiet spot among the vineyard-blanket countryside of Tramonti.
The Wines of Tramonti
Whereas the coastal towns are known for their local lemon groves used to produce fruit to make limoncello liqueur, Tramonti has a historic winemaking tradition, and grapevines are grown on steep terraces dug into the slopes of the Lattari Mountains. The Costa d'Amalfi Tramonti DOC wine is produced here, among other vintages. For a winery tour and wine tasting, we suggest Tenuta San Francesco.
Amalfi Coast Wineries